Rewards for Labour

Long time nothing new,

We are due for a dream come true.

A demand we make upon the Gods-

An appeal to be fulfilled against all odds.

Those countless hopes and dreams we send,

Wishing all things broken will themselves mend.

The powers-that-are must grant this and more,

For on who else shall they plunder their store?

Its our right to deserve those blessings,

Help, luck, fortune and all those things.

The sun must rise and set for us,

Its only for us, all this grand fuss.

In this entire story we oft forget the fact.

That which life teaches us with too little tact.

Its better to first deserve and then desire;

Every reward is backed with efforts made prior.

Its when we do our part of the deal,

That we may apply for the divine seal.

Its why we have been given the control-

To make things that are good or foul.

It begins with a want, turned into need,

Then the effort and pain of the deed.

If your heart's in it and jobs well done,

Then its return in kind will surely come.

Song of the Rain...

Rain Rain go away,

Come again another day.

Little A.P wants some relief,

Pray do take another way.

Give us some time yet.

To pick up pieces washed out,

To tread our lives and homes,

Into that pattern we once knew about.

To get over the shock and,

Grief of being homeless now.

In an instant when the,

Rains came pouring and how!

Once upon a time,

How we craved that very rain,

To grow from its power,

Food for us time and again .

It took in its lieu all that,

Was within sight and beyond.

To carry away in its tide,

Our lives worth, and more around.

Striped the rich, the poor alike,

Taking dignity and hope too,

Left with nothing to start with,

And journeys all over to do .

After the Rain God's injustice,

It's to remember and learn,

Nature has a debt to collect,

For every boon, it lets you earn.

Two sides to every coin,

To every joy and pain,

Two points to every view,

This too is a "Song of the Rain" .

Think Again

Better to write for yourself and have no public, than to write for the public and have no self. --Cyril Connolly

Notes from life...

Oft a chance remark or a causal perusal of an interesting arrangement of words stokes the desire within to translate those thoughts in my head into opinions on record (P.S All opinions expressed here are subject to undecided and indiscriminate life spans. Causes of death or longevity are still unknown). So a comment by some one today about how it would be apt to name me the 'Consistent Poet' sparked a protest inside and thus here is evidence being presented in defence (and offence) that I do , thank you very much, write prose too.
Now there is a quotation by Charles Dickens which would be apt here- "A man needn't go far to find a subject, if he's ready with his salt-box"
Though there is much I wanted to say but it seems all that I am going to blabber about today is about people. There is this particular forward that I am sure has been around the globe half a dozen times by now, which has a very simple statement. It says people come into your life for a reason , season or a lifetime. The thought stayed with me and it keeps coming back to me time and again when I think about how funny life can be.
I am sure these things were always there, its just that I have now woken up to the idea that the people who I come in contact with are all for a purpose and part of that great scheme which is going to help me become who I am. I notice there is that category of people who you meet probably once or twice and that all that the connection is. But that in that short while they show you the 'reason' of being in the tapestry of your life. And there are some who stay for a while. The stay for a 'season' and when they have helped you with crossing that certain bridge or showing you that certain path or have added to you what ever that they were meant to add, they leave. The last are those who stay with you for a life time and their need and purpose is to add and be those colours in your painting.
When you reverse the thought- you yourself will be a reason or a season or lifetime for another. While others are doing for me, even I am filling a gap and playing my part out in yet another story. Our lives would then intertwine and separate with no beginning or end. The thought scares and exhilarates at the same time.
There have been people who have touched or stayed or stood with me and there have been those who have left. There are been impacts , additions and missing gaps after many of those transitions but this combination that you see is a result of all that was and is.

Notes from Work...

I thought it would be fun about this time of the year,
When articles would be thrown out for audit on their ear.
Its time to be watch dogs and not blood hounds-
To see that the client works well within his bounds.

You think it’s a pain and a bore to go and check
Every client ,no matter how good, you say- what the heck?
Go bug them for a while, why don’t you?
See how much they can take you and her too..

See if all their vouchers are ordered and numbered,
Printing every last one MUST leave them encumbered.
See if their bank statements are collected and filed,
Keep asking for extra copies until they are riled.

See how, when and from where , they buy
Every bill wont be explained ,but do just try.
To whom , when , why and what -do they sell,
Don’t ask trade secrets girl, they wont tell...

See if the bank pays interest and try to find,
One person there who can figure the calculations behind.
If they have loans or FD's then make them dig,
Certificates for those and that’s only half of our jig.

See that there are supporting for every rupee there-
Even in case the accountant begs ,don’t really care.
See that there is a sign and stamp for every word written,
For by the Law hound we surely don’t wanna be bitten.

See the provisions and reserves that they have and ask,
As to why they are needed a dozen times, with a serious mask.
For the Rates and Taxes that they have paid for the period,
From official departments ,demand attestations myriad.

We now come to the Salaries and wages that were given,
Or expenses which for special gains has seem to risen.
See that they clarify and justify every item in there,
But do stop an inch before they are gonna pull their hair.

Only remember that the day you sit upon my chair,
You shall have worries and so much more to care.
That day you shall realize that there is but one side,
You got to hold hands with the clients if you wanna ride.

Notes from class...

I have not written for so very very long now. I do have excuses for the lapse but that's what they are- just excuses. So picked up the pen today in a burst of bored creative energy......
To give a lil background for what you are gonna read below- so that you may properly appreciate the deed- I have morning classes seven days a week which we can't miss. Now the gentleman is good at what he does but when you are running on reduced sleep hours and conforming to the afore mentioned gentleman's rules, you lose it. There comes a point for everyone where they have sat in class without comprehending a single word said. ( yet to reach it , but don't worry its in the near future) So today was a day when we were wondering if our watches had simply stopped working , when I penned these lines. Nothing spectacular , its a come back....

Sitting once again in his class,
Is Definitely not an easy task.
For it's a perpetual pain,
All in the quest for that elusive gain.

Its to crack that set of exams you see,
Its why we are here, my friends and me.
Its not the hard benches and chipping boards,
Its only that by his lecture, I am so very bored.

Observe people around and see them sleep,
Or their mighty struggle for straight faces, to keep.
The discoloured walls, old books and broken glass,
This and more but a part of class.

Once again tomorrow morning I shall pause,
Think. wonder, debate about reason and cause.
As to why I continue to, day in and day out , go there,
Maybe its because I can't truly say, I don't care...

Think Again

I can teach anybody how to get what they want out of life. The problem is that I can't find anybody who can tell me what they want.

- Mark Twain

Pondering Shakespeare....

" There is a tide in the affairs of men,
Which, taken at the flood, leads on to fortune;
Omitted, all the voyage of their lives
Is bound in shallows and in miseries.
On such a full sea are we now afloat;
And we must take the current when it serves,
Or lose our ventures. "

For some reason I have not been able to get these lines written by Shakespeare out of my head for the last few days. They keep running through my mind on and off.
These lines were said at a point in the play when Brutus and Cassius are preparing for the impending war against Antony and Octavius. The bone of contention being who were more worthy being called traitors. The reason that Brutus utters these words is that he wants to settle the debate regarding what the right time is for attacking the enemy.
There is so much meaning in those few lines that one can ponder and ponder and yet feel that some meaning still lingers which one has not touched upon. They are so very relevant to every person and every circumstance. There is always that correct time and correct place for things and recognizing that particular path which should ideally be taken is oft a dilemma. Action or lack of action both can be a deciding fact. Sometimes one action or decision can alter situations and lives so much .
I guess that's why they say opportunities come only once. The moment passes and then the course of things is forever changed.

You guys..

A while ago filling out a questionnaire I paused at the question - " What qualities do you look for in friends?"

    The question did not really have an answer. No one sits with a check list of what, how much, in whom categories. These invaluable finds are just found without much prior planning or strategy.

   I came across this picture quite by accident and could not ignore it. So I put it here in......dedication sounds too spiffy for you guys, lets just say as a reminder of what you people mean to me.

    Its for those friends who have now become like family and for that family that will also be friend.  For you.....

Think Again

If stupidity got us into this mess, then why can't it get us out?

-Will Rogers

The faded past.

May be I am getting too attached to my home town Hyderabad (can there be a 'too attached' in connection to your home??) or maybe it's just that I feel sad to see the lost legacy of the once Princely State of the Nizams. A couple of days ago I was pouring over a book of photographs taken by Raja Deen Dayal. He was one of the most famous photographers or maybe even one of the only Indian photographers of that age and era. The photography shop that was run by him was called 'Dayal & Sons' and at the zenith of his profession he had two shops one in Secunderabad and if I recall rightly the other had been in Bombay.
So he has photographed the royal gatherings, being a member of the Nizam's court and the palaces and the various structures and the public places etc. Even the famous flood many years back when the river Musi had flooded over the Afzal Ganj bridge has been recorded. The point that I trying to make is I was so very impressed by the photographs and their subjects too.
You could see the way people used to dress , the Indian men in their sherwanis and the jewels according to their station ,their women in beautiful skirts and the dupattas and the finery to match or delicate sarees while the English were clothed in finely pressed uniforms and stately hats and women gowned in voluminous skirts and lace. The interiors of the palace- every single item worth looking at and admiring kept in flawless order and beauty. It was on one hand wonderful and on the other hand sad to see the palaces and the diwan-devdi's. Oh the streets that were and the motor cars!! I could not help but drool over the motor car that the Nizam was photographed standing in and watching a polo match. It had these beautiful rounded protruding headlamps and luxurious leather upholstery and the shiny black colour of it .... of cource in pristine condition.
The wide cobbled streets and the small buses , more like trams in fact and the guards standing at various places. It was an enlightening picturesque experience. How much better it would have been to see all that in person?
Sadly all the that is forever lost because we could not save any of that from being destroyed. We let it fall prey to neglect and and forever loose them. We love to hear about our past, by history I don't just mean a country's story , even our personal family tales and traditions are all lost and remain as stories to be told remincing about bygones.
I wonder why we cannot preserve our history or maybe it's just a natural cource of nature for things and people to keep evolving , keep building one thing over the other, keep giving shape to new ideas and styles in all ages. Today we are making history for the next generation.....

Think Again.

The pen is mightier than the sword.....if the sword is very short, and the pen is very sharp.

-Terry Pratchett

Dimaag ki batti...

A big hello to all the readers of my blog.

As you  see I am still not past the mental clog

Of writing things in a tiring rhyme

Trying to make words and phrases chime

Its the bug that's bitten me quite hard

Never from the path of rhythm, to part

Its an odd affliction if you may please

And it wont go even if you do tease

So once again as I pick up my virtual pen

To entertain you ladies and gentlemen

The spew of words comes out with feet

Tied up in symetry to look so neat

In case you are wondering as to the point

Of this poem I write -quite disjoint

I truly agree and say you shall find none

For it was only to kill time and have some fun

If you still want to read what I have to say

I am afraid today is definetly not the day

For the mood is to spin out a tale

Which has neither rudder not sail

So enjoy the aimless sermon that I dish

And for the return of sense , do wish!

Sad images..

Wake up! Vote! Be counted!
The gay banners scream
Use your right and elect
The country’s sour cream
The flags on the cars,
The flyers clutched in the fist
The caps that sit on heads
But a part of the endless list
Of how your money
Is being washed down the drain
Of the ways they will use
To abuse and confuse your brain
They promise the earth and the stars
If nothing else at the very least
A trip to the moon and back
From the taxes a complimentary feast
They say use your democratic right
Its responsibility and solidarity, see
To collectively choose who sits where
Which greedy hand will hold which key
Its really a choice of which kind
Of troubles and lawlessness that you can
Grin and bear for another 5 years
Which set of people enact a sham.
Yet on a uplifting note I add
Winds of change are being felt
The jaded and tarnished images
Of heartless monsters may just melt.

Over done.

I happened to catch the movie ‘Outsourced’ a couple of weeks back.
What crap!
I assumed the movie would be one of those easy-watch ones where they show you an ideal idea about how people find their true calling or see past their own egos and find their soul mate all at one time. You know those kinds don’t you?
I was put off -actually not just put off, quite angry at what they still perceive India to be. For those of you who don’t have an idea of what I am talking about, the movie tries to present a picture of lousy India which an American concedes and grudgingly accepts because he finds himself unable to do anything else about it.
I felt in this day and age when the west is all ga-ga about our Indian sciences and our holy men and our yoga and our brains and let’s not forget our music, its time the director woke up and realized there is so much more to show about us than showing half dressed urchins and fat aunties who ask about your marital status or over eager rural turned urbanites who ask your’ good name’.
The notion was so absurd that all India is about is its poverty, backward traditions and outdated idea. Wake up people!!
They show a call centre employee who flirts with every female caller he has. And another female with double standards for morality. Does that happen in India? It very likely does. Does that happen only in India? Definitely not.

Next time you want to make a movie on India, do your research well. Or maybe visit this country and see for yourself. That beside the slums world class malls have come up, that even behenjis here can speak English better than you, that for a nation of a billion plus people we are still pretty open hearted to welcome you in our midst.

On Hyderabad

The topic of discussion had been the various cities around the world and their allure.This was a poem I had written in defence of my home town Hyderabad.

City Loved...

To see the world from your chair
Was certainly an idea to share
To hear and feel what she has to say
And globe trot without a dime to pay
So many places I have sensed now
Though another's eyes, thats how
It makes me want to tell
About hyderabad's sounds and smell
Its a place which I did not choose or see
And yet had to make it a home for me
Its the picture that it brings to the eye
Of bejeweled hands and towers high
A cradle to the nawabs was what it was
Of Mosques, muezzins and houz
There is still grandeur left of the past
Enough culture of the nizams to last
Legacies left and manners taught
A way of speech and thought
And then when you turn the leaf
Be spellbound by the other side of the sheaf
Crane your neck to see structures as you go
Or just study the people and the show
There used to be rocks there ages back
Now dazzling steel makes up for the lack
Heard of our slang, have you not?
And still admired our charming lot...
There is a divide we maintain here you see
Of the city’s beauty that’s the key
How one place makes faces two
Blending the old and new
It’s the food and the clothes they say
Which makes worthwhile your stay
But there is something more to it
Something that makes it a perfect fit
No matter from where or who you are
Hyderabad’s welcoming spirit is without par
It will encircle and grow upon you
You shall then sing it’s praises too.

To note...

To those who flaunt nobility as a right
Remember it is of action and not of birth
Pay heed to the high perches you sit upon
For they are based on foundations weak
To be in a position of such great opportunity
And not be good enough is sad indeed
Even worse is to use office to inflict
Unfairly and unjustly upon another
Never underestimate silence or dignity
What goes around, comes around one day
Every one has to be weighed in the scales
Be careful lest that day you come up short.

Jai ho!

           I am very likely one of the last ones to watch the movie the world is talking about- "Slumdog Millionaire".

        Now that I have seen it I recommend it to all those who are even worse than me and have not seen the movie yet. So let me add my bit of praise about the movie. I suppose the winning formula is that we all like to see the underdog or in this case the slumdog triump in the end in whatever manner plausible or not plausible because we like to believe in hope. The feeling that the movie leaves you with is one of - Yes everyone can acheive their place under the sun no matter if their origins have been the lowest of the low.

    The movie is to tightly edited. No wastage at all. Its said in a very crisp manner with the right amount of suspense to make us keep wondering what comes next. I won't say the movie is completely believe able because the ending is a little hard to digest. The thing to watch for is surely the incidents he relates to explain how he knew the answers. That part was believable and  engrossing. And as somebody rightly pointed out to me another feather in the film's cap is the ability of the director to carry off the narration of  three different timelines and yet keep the viewer from getting confused. Lets not forget the great music. Keep your fingers crossed for the Oscars people!

Something's cooking

What's with everybody? Everywhere I see I find friends and family, lets not take names now, find their someone special.  But then it makes me smile in delight as they try to explain themselves away as if nothing is up with them ,so with those people in mind.......

Written for females but it would do good for the males to pay attention too....

So you thought you could fool,
Pretend you are so calm and cool.
Nothing really is the matter,
Oh don’t bother me with your tatter.
Those glowing eyes and curved lips,
Have shown more than the tips.
It’s the way you say the things you say,
Which makes me a little more attention pay.
Come on , say it loud and clear
All those sighs that you hold near.
Those secret hopes and dreams , that are
From your thoughts, never quite that far.
I know but a part of what you fear,
Its too important isn’t it dear?
Its bigger than what you thought ,
Its the golden noose in which you are caught.
But stop that whirl in your head,
Stop feeding the worries that you fed.
And listen to the murmur of your heart,
Pay heed to what it sings for a start.
Then there is him and you-
Caught in such a bond too.
Now dont risk it or fight it ,
Not when it’s such a perfect fit.
Open your arms wide and good,
And take whatever you can loot.
In this time of reckless abandon,
Snatch all the joy and freedom.
Sure there is no real test,
To see who suits you best.
If its your smile and laugh ,that he can
Bring out in a beat then he is the man.
If at the end of the day you can say it all...
And yet he does not in slumber fall.
If when from bugs you run...
He does not in the least make fun.
If he agrees make up is a not a useless art...
And willingly with his wallet does part.
If he remembers the beauty on the inside...
That within you does surely reside.
Then darling don’t let him go
And at the right moment just let him know.

Incomplete thoughts.

Often in life we come to crossroads such
That each road, for us, holds so much
The question seems simple so to see
Only one cannot decide what the answer should be.
.........

Had started this poem some time back. As it shows I was in a state of dilemma. Lost the chain of thougth and could never pick up the strain so I leave it to the readers to add their own to these four lines. Any and all contribution will be humbly and gladly accepted.

In Awe.

I was a little hesitant about putting this up on my blog but then I said its my blog I might as well put up what I like ,so here is a song my mom and I hum upon seeing the breathtakingly beautiful moon that is up in the sky around the middle of the month according to the Urdu calender. If anyone has noticed one can really see why so many poets and writers have written pages praising the moon and its sheen. There is this strange magnetism or attraction that a full moon has, and not just for the werewolves ( if they really do exist ) one can be bowled over and duly impressed.

     So I found the song titled Chaudhavin ka Chand from a movie by the same name and listened to the whole thing ( we only know the opening stanza ). Despite being an oldie and slow, the song is still very beautiful. Its about a man who compares the beauty of the one he loves to the beauty of the moon.  So listen to the song and decide for yourself-

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U9Vw2fL1Hw4

At the Day's End.

Going through more than a bit of dry spell. So until I cook up something please enjoy one of my favourite poems-

Is anybody happier because you passed his way?

The day is almost over and it's toiling time is through,

Is there anybody now to say a kindly word to you?

Does anybody remember that you spoke to him today?

Can you say tonight, in parting with a day that's slipping fast,

That you helped a single brother of the many that you passed?

Did you waste the day, or lose it? Was it well or sorely spent?

Is a single heart rejoicing over what you said or did?

Dis you leave a trail of kindness or a scar of discontent?

As you close your eyes in slumber, do you think God will say,

you have earned one more tomorrow by the work you did today?

I am right, you are not!

Why is it that we fail to see?
Why is it that we refuse to meet?
To see another's point of view,
To wear his shoes, to take his seat.

Why do we engrave our opinions and thoughts?
Why do we fix and bind and seal our minds?
To be so very sure that we are right,
It’s the others who are are in binds.

Why do we feel wronged and hurt?
Why do we feel like our honour is on the line?
To hear another say- think my way,
To accept that his view is, just as fine.

Who is to say what’s wrong, what’s right?
Who is to say by what we should abide?
To see past our egos and imaginary status,
To push the mirage of self righteousness aside.

How hard is it to let go?
How hard it is to step down from our perch high?
To understand what another says and why,
To not at his assumed ignorance sigh.

I have seen it often and a lot,
People vigorously argue and scream.
Why don’t you see how right I am?
Come see just what I mean.

It’s not about sense and sensibility,
Truly some know and some know not,
It’s just that in the moment of heat,
Let’s see the tolerance you’ve got.

Everybody is right and everybody is wrong,
At some point or some other time.
It’s all about how much dignity you have,
If with differences in opinions you are fine.

Here winning or losing is not,
Imposing your will on minds and hearts.
It’s about whether you could open your mind,
And walk in another’s shoes for a start.

Disappointed.

I suppose by this time every body's shock about the Satyam scandal had lost it's edge. For a lot of people it has been an awful week. Without rhyme or reason a lot of money, credibility and faith has been lost.

I was also shocked to know about such a major, major fraud. 7000 crs is not a small amount in any sense. And even more shocked to know about the role played by the auditing firm in the whole scheme of things. Granted 'innocent until proven guilty' but still.....

There will be an investigation and questions will be asked. The auditors might or might nor be guilty. But that's a different issue. Once credibility is lost, it is very hard to gain it back. However much you might scream your innocence from rooftops, in the minds of people there shall always be a black mark against them.

Why only talk of Satyam's auditors? In this mess Price Waterhouse Coopers are not the only ones to take a beating. The whole profession is. From someone who has an insider's view to how it feels to see your profession be caught in a mud slinging scenario, its terrible.PWC was a brand. To work there was a admirable thing. Other CA's set their standards by how PWC worked. It's as if a mentor has been defiled. 

Right now, for sure no body can talk about the extent to which PWC was an accomplice to the whole plan. It might have been privy to the whole thing, who knows. But just imagine the implication of the situations. Infosys has just released it's 3rd quarter results. Weren't you a little skeptical and paused for a second when they reported a growth in figures? For a split second the thought ran through my mind- I wonder if some thing's wrong? Who are their auditors?

It was still believed that this profession, having so many controls and checks and I suppose even due to small number of members , was one of the last professional bodies in India. I have seen that image fade away so quickly. It will take some time yet until people trust us again.

Plans for Change.

Another piece on the same lines. Until I move past this writer's block, bear with me.

It all depends upon the way you see,

Whether the glass is half full or empty.

Do you cheer for the new year coming in?

And with renewed vigour, once again begin?

Or are you one to mourn the year past?

And wish you could make it, for a bit, last?

They say time's like a river flowing on,

Once past what's gone is gone.

Its that time of the year when everyone,

Thinks of what to do or what's done.

Its time to take stock and see for yourself,

Whats good and what needs help.

But then I think why do we have to wait,

Why can't we begin early or a little late?

This whole scheme of cleaning our mess

Putting our plans of change to test.

With what resolutions did your new year start

Or are you already, with them, losing heart?

Except for a change of calender and a diary to go

There is really not much change to show.

There's light at the end of every tunnel, so they say

And we are sure to change for the better one day.

So until then stop waiting for a beginning new,

Act upon it today, instead of making it due.

For it's not the date or the time when you do,

The moment you realize will be dawn for you.

Think Again.

" Poets need not go to Niagara to write about the force of falling water"

- Robert Frost

New Beginnings.

  HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

 May the new year be filled with simple pleasures,

May it bring you a host of countless treasures!